Fired-up Paddack hurt by long ball in loss

NEW YORK -- It was billed as a showdown between Chris Paddack and Pete Alonso, two of baseball's most high-profile rookies renewing their feud in the Big Apple.

In a way, Round 2 went to Alonso. The Mets won, 5-2, on Tuesday night, and Alonso worked three walks, including two against Paddack on two borderline pitches.

But when Paddack exited the Citi Field mound to jeers -- stemming from a May interview in which he voiced his displeasure with Alonso’s National League Rookie of the Month Award -- he covered his mouth with his glove and let loose a scream. And he wasn’t directing his emotion at Alonso.

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Robinson Cano had Paddack’s number Tuesday night, as the Padres dropped their eighth in 10 games since the All-Star break. Cano took Paddack deep twice, before the San Diego right-hander exited after five-plus innings in which he allowed three runs. Then, Cano tacked on another homer against a rookie, this time in Logan Allen. Those three dingers accounted for all five Mets runs.

“We got beat by one guy tonight.” Paddack said. “I wish I could take those two pitches back.”

As expected, the crowd at Citi Field greeted Paddack rudely after he’d called out Alonso in San Diego two months ago. The brazen right-hander followed that proclamation with 7 2/3 scoreless innings and some theatrics on the mound. A rivalry was born, seemingly out of nothing.

On Tuesday, Paddack was booed each time he stepped to the plate. Following both home runs, a segment of Mets fans broke into a “Paddack sucks” chant.

“I use that as energy,” Paddack said. “Some guys hear it and fall down the hill. For me, I use it as energy and show them that, you know, Paddack doesn't suck. But that's part of the game. It makes it fun to have that little rivalry. They got me tonight.”

Six days ago, Paddack carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning in Miami. He wasn’t nearly as sharp at Citi Field on Tuesday, consistently falling behind in counts. Paddack’s pinpoint fastball command eluded him, and the Mets -- and Cano in particular -- seemed ready for his offspeed offerings.

In the fourth, Paddack left a changeup right down the middle, and Cano sent it into the second deck. Two innings later, Cano demolished a hanging curve.

“Just got to tip my cap to that guy,” Paddack said. “He's a veteran hitter.”

In the bigger picture, of course, Paddack’s outing really wasn’t much cause for concern. He’s been brilliant over the past month, and he made two poor pitches that Cano hit out. More concerning was the San Diego offense’s inability to muster more than one hit against soft-tossing lefty Jason Vargas.

“Overall, it was respectable from [Paddack],” said Padres manager Andy Green. “We didn’t do anything against Vargas.”

Now, Green’s righty-heavy lineup is staring down consecutive games against right-handers Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom to finish a nine-game road trip. Salvaging a respectable 4-5 record seems like a daunting task.

But the Padres need wins soon if they want to salvage their 2019 campaign. Right now, they’re playing like sellers ahead of next week’s Trade Deadline, and their six-game deficit in the NL Wild Card race only serves to reinforce that notion.

Baez sharp in debut

From the start of the season, the Padres made it clear they planned to give big league opportunities to their young pitching prospects. They’ve certainly followed through on that promise.

On Thursday night, Michel Baez became the 10th pitcher to make his big league debut for the Padres this season -- the highest mark in the NL. Only the Rangers have more.

Baez, the Padres’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, entered in relief of Paddack in the sixth. He stranded Paddack’s baserunner with a scoreless frame in which he induced three popups and allowed a single.

Baez leaned heavily on his high-octane fastball, which averaged 97.6 mph, and he sprinkled in a few high-80s sliders and changeups as well.

Tatis makes his case

For all the Paddack-Alonso chatter, the NL Rookie of the Year Award debate might ultimately center around Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. On Tuesday, Tatis offered a reminder that he’s going nowhere in that race.

After starting the night 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, Tatis made things interesting late. He singled and scored in the eighth, then doubled home a run in the ninth. Tatis also added an excellent backhand play at shortstop for good measure.

Right now, Tatis trails Alonso in popular opinion. That’s almost certainly because Tatis missed a month with a left hamstring injury. But Tatis might be closing the gap. He’s hitting .325/.389/.595 this season while playing excellent defense at the shortstop position.

“He’s as impactful as anybody in the game,” Green said. "If his name’s not in consideration, I think some people are missing some things.”

Tatis seemed less concerned about the award. (It’s July, after all.)

“I love it,” he said. “But I’m just doing my job. I’m just going to keep working hard, keep pushing, and that’s going to take care of itself.”